In this discussion, Chris Miller, a Tufts University historian specializing in semiconductor technology and author of "Chip War," explores the sudden rise of the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek. He unpacks its potential to disrupt the tech landscape, especially in relation to American companies like Nvidia, which saw a shocking 17% drop in stock value. Miller delves into the geopolitical implications of this competition, highlighting how DeepSeek's success poses significant challenges to U.S. dominance in AI and semiconductor manufacturing.
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insights INSIGHT
Semiconductor Importance
Access to cutting-edge semiconductors has been key for economic and strategic reasons since their invention.
Advanced chips are crucial for defense, intelligence, and personal computers.
insights INSIGHT
Chips and AI Supremacy
AI progress relies on applying more and better chips to training and deploying AI systems.
Big tech companies invest heavily in data centers with advanced chips for AI development.
question_answer ANECDOTE
NVIDIA's Rise in AI
NVIDIA, originally a gaming company, became a leader in AI chips.
Their gaming chip technology proved efficient for AI, leading to heavy investment and market dominance.
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The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology
Chris Miller
In 'Chip War', Chris Miller details how the semiconductor industry has become essential for modern life, influencing military, economic, and geopolitical power. The book explores the historical development of microchips, from their origins in Silicon Valley to their current role in global politics, particularly in the competition between the United States and China. Miller explains how the U.S. dominance in chip design and manufacturing contributed to its victory in the Cold War and how China's efforts to catch up are shaping the current geopolitical landscape.
The speed at which the new Chinese chatbot app DeepSeek has risen to prominence has taken many by surprise. Now the most downloaded free app in the US, DeepSeek seems to require less powerful computer chips than its American tech rivals.
The release of this low-cost AI model sent shockwaves through US stock markets, with Nvidia - the company behind the high-tech chips powering many AI investments - being the hardest hit. On Monday, Nvidia’s share price dropped by 17%, wiping out around $600bn in market value. So, where has DeepSeek come from, and what’s behind its ability to spook investors? What could this mean for the future of chip manufacturing and the US's historic dominance in the world of AI?
Jonny Dymond speaks to Chris Miller, historian on semiconductor chips at Tufts University and author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. Jonny is also joined by the BBC’s North America business correspondent Ritika Gupta to discus the impact DeepSeek has had on the stock markets.
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Producers: Richard Moran and Eleanor Sly
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